Mostar

Despite the scars of war, Mostar is still stunning, straddling the banks of the gorgeous Neretva River, with tributaries and waterfalls carving their way through the rocky landscape. The sightseeing — mosques, old Turkish-style houses, and that spine-tingling Old Bridge — is more engaging than much of what you'll find in Croatia or Slovenia. (And it's cheap: Hotels, food, and museums are less than half the prices you'll pay in Dubrovnik or Ljubljana.) While a visit to Mostar was depressing not that long ago, the city gets more uplifting all the time: Mostarians are rebuilding at an impressive pace, tentatively reintegrating, and working hard to make Mostar tourist-friendly. Mostar is well on its way to reclaiming its status as one of the premier destinations in the former Yugoslavia.